Mercedes has just pulled the wrapper off their most feral W205 C-Class yet, the Mercedes-AMG C63 S. Mercedes-Benz Malaysia’s (MBM) Vice President of Sales and Marketing Malaysia, Mark Raine, was joined by legendary Ferrari Formula One driver, Jean Alesi who is currently AMG DTM’s first driver.

The C63 AMG represents the company’s most successful class in this respect – over 40,000 units of the W204 was sold, making it one of the most successful cars to carry the AMG badge. Merc enjoyed a good sales run with the said model and believes that the W205 will follow its footsteps rather closely. They have also had a great run in Malaysia, with over 8000 units flying off the shelves in this year alone.

Name

Mercedes-AMG C63 S

Engine

4.0-litre bi-turbo V8

Transmission

7-speed MCT (dual clutch)

Max Power

510 hp @ 5,500-6,250 rpm

Max Torque

700 Nm @ 1,750 -4,500 rpm

0-100 km/h

4.0 seconds

Top Speed

250 km/h (290Km/h optional)

Price

RM698,888

EXTERIOR

This hot Merc really does live up to the Mercede’s current design language. It’s sporty without being brash, yet composed without being benign. It’s almost spot on, especially when finished in the matte metallic silver you see here (a cost option, mind you). The front fascia sports all the trappings of an AMG-derived Merc.

Starting with the front end, which premiers the AMG-badged twin-blade grille on the W205. Interestingly, Merc didn’t bother with putting the 3D mesh grille – as seen on the A45 – on the C63 S. Bless them for that. Right above the three-pointed badge sits a tiny camera that guides the driver thru tough and sticky spots when parking. Upon closer inspection, all four sides of the car have been fitted with a camera, which will form the 360 surround view for easy manoeuvrability. The carbon composite bumper also channels cooling air into the ducts when things heat up.

One thing for sure, C63 is covered in muscular lines and angles. It really does embody the racing spirit of the car and the brand that built it. The wheels are a set of lightweight alloys wrapped with Dunlop Sport Maxx RT rubbers measuring 245/35 R19 at the front and 265/35 R19 at the rear. Did we also mention the carbon-ceramic brakes with red brake calipers? More on that later.

Follow the lines and you’ll inevitably find yourself staring down the barrel of a pair of chrome-tipped tail pipes on each side. You’ll soon cross paths with the carbon-moulded rear diffuser that’s also helped out with the tiny but not insignificant boot lid.

INTERIOR

Elegance comes screaming straight to mind, but comes as no surprise because after all, it’s a Mercedes-Benz. But mind you, the chaps from Affalterbach do have an interesting sense of style. The interior is luxurious yet sporty but without being gourdy. One thing is though, the driver’s seat is absolutely rock solid and may prove to be too firm for everyday driving – as is the case for the A45 and CLA45. A chiropractor does not come included in the listed price, however.

Having said that, let that not deter you from letting the luxuries envelop you. The seats are wrapped in an artificially-made leather called Artico which is also generously smothered across the dashboard and trim pieces. The AMG badge is sewn onto the backrests to finish off the look. Extensive use of brushed aluminium trimmings add a brilliant contrast to the upholstery, which we like. The air vents really give off a retro vibe to it. That said, the tech and toys that come with it are anything but retro.

Merc has thrown in the COMMAND system that pretty much runs the infotainment system in the car. The system handles all of the driver’s needs, from GPS navigation to picking the right tune. Rear leg room isn’t brilliant but considering the calibre of this machines, it’s rather impressive. The rear seats are a rather cosseting pair that hugs you in all the right places. The same notion goes towards the front pair as well. As you prepare an exit from this track muncher, you’ll notice the back-lit AMG door sills.

PERFORMANCE

As with any AMG, the party piece can always be found under the hood. But the difference here is that, for the first time ever in a C-Class AMG, a turbo-charged mill is at play. The previous one lived up to its legendary ear-bleeding reputation of noise and brute power, courtesy of a free-breathing 6.2-litre big block V8. But with changing times, even dinosaurs like AMG are powerless but to bow to rulings and regulations.

As a result of turbocharging, the W205 C63 S is greener than its predecessor, thus yielding 8.4 litres per 100km. Certainly impressive efficiency for an AMG-Merc. But not all is lost with turbocharging, in fact it might even give drivers a better edge around the track. Torque figures are now accessible from a mere 1,750 rpm making it perfect for flailing aroung Sepang.

Down to the numbers; it’s a 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 block that’s obscenely close to the unit powering the AMG GT S. In S tune, the engine churns out an impressive 510 hp at 5,500 rpm with a tsunami twist – all 700 Nm of torque crashing in from as early as 1,750 rpm. Stopping this 1,730 kg Merc is up to the job of carbon ceramic composite brakes which, for the first time on a C-Class, is offered as an optional extra, but only for the front axles.

It will decimate most sports cars with 0 to 100 km/h time of just 4.0 seconds and will hit an eventual limited top speed of 250km/h. But for a healthy sum of moolah, the limiter can be moved up to 290km/h. AMG has yet another interesting fact about the engines that power the C63 S, and it has plenty to do with a four-letter phrase called ‘one man one engine’. This means that each engine is hand-built by just one technician and will have his name etched onto a tiny steel plaque on the engine cover at the end of the process.

As usual, power is shot out to the rear wheels. But handling all that power is a job tasked to the new AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension with a three-stage adjustable damper that offers a agility and high-speed stability. A quick word with Jean Alesi reveals that the man has yet to take this behemoth onto the track, but reports that the C63 behaves well on the roads. And with the car in Comfort mode, he gives it the thumbs up. Praise doesn’t get much higher than that if we’re honest.

But most of us aren’t legendary Ferrari F1 drivers and ‘comfort’ seems like a good place as any to leave it on. Should you be feeling adventurous, the C63 S’ gearbox comes with four other settings, namely ‘Sport’, ‘Sport +’, ‘RACE’ and ‘individual’ driving modes that will alter the set up according to your driving needs.

WHAT ELSE?

The C63 S comes with all the bells and whistles when it comes to safety and luxury. The C63 S comes with ADAPTIVE BRAKE, ATTENTION ASSIST, COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS, cruise control with SPEEDTRONIC, ISOFIX child mounting points and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

That pretty much wraps up the C63 S but here’s an interesting ‘what else’ for you. In typical MBM fashion, there will be a limited number of C63 S Edition 1 for sale, costing just RM25,000 more. What does this buy you? The Edition 1 comes with all off the above, save for some trim differences. In short, you get a lot of trim pieces finished in red carbon-fibre with the words AMG and Edition 1 splattered everywhere. Since it’s a limited edition variant, if it does tickle your fancy, then we suggest that you waste no more time. The standard C63 S retails for RM698,888 whilst the Edition 1 goes for RM723,888.

This author was born with an undying love for cars. As the mantra goes, the faster, the better. A hotelier-cum-entrepreneur, he soon gave up the life in pursuit of joining the brinks of the local automotive industry. He spends his days, aside from writing obviously, plotting and scheming his plan ever so carefully in the hopes of bagging a Porsche 991 Turbo in white with the Martini racing colours.